Split-shot sinker setting tool with pivoted jaw and magazine



July 29, 1958 R. w. JOHNSON 2,

SPLIT-SHd'IESINKER SETTING T001. WITHPBIYOTED JAW AND MAGAZINE Filed April 27, 1956 INVENTOR. Bump (Jam/saw.

United States Patent SPLIT-SHOT SINKER SETTING TOOL WITH PIVGTED JAW AND MAGAZINE Richard W. Johnson, Lafayette, Calif.

Application April 27, 1956, Serial No. 581,106 Claims. (Cl. 81-15) My present invention relates to sporting equipment and more particularly to fishing and it has for its object the provision of a tool of simple and practical construction by which split-shot may be applied to a fishline or leader as a sinker for the purpose well understood in the art.

Another object of the invention is to provide a splitshot sinker applying tool having a magazine in which a quantity of split-shot may be carried and from which the shot may be discharged one at the time and pinched upon a fishline in a simple and convenient manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plierlike tool having a pair of cooperating jaws one of which is pivotally mounted and operated by a lever mounted for pivotal movement in such a manner with respect to a shot containing magazine that the magazine and said lever constitute means by which the tool may be operated in conventional plier-like fashion.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved tool of plier-like construction for applying splitshot to a fishline in which split-shot compression jaws are disposed at the open end of a split-shot retaining magazine from which the shot is discharged one at the time into a fishline receiving position by an operation of one of said jaws and subsequently pinched over a line by a subsequent operation of said jaw.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be in part evident to those skilled in the art and in part pointed out in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein there is shown by way of illustration and not of limitation a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a preferred form of my invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing details of construction,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 33 of Figure 2, looking in direction of arrow, and

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 2 showing the operating parts in difierent functional positions.

By referring to Figure l of the drawing, it will be noted that my improved sinker setting tool takes on the appearance and characteristics of a conventional pair of pliers. A tubular split-shot retaining magazine, designated by the numeral forms one of the grips of the plier and an operating lever 11 forms a cooperating grip. The

in the manner indicated.

tubular magazine 10 has a threaded closure cap 12, which when removed will permit the loading of the magazine with split-shot 13. This cap 12 carries a ring 14 by which the tool may be conveniently suspended from the belt or other equipment. The lever 11 is here shown as having a hook disgorging fork 15 and the cap 12 may carry a pivotally mounted guard 16. At its open end, the split-shot magazine 10 carries two spaced plate-like members 17 at the end of which a stationary jaw 18 is mounted and between which a movable jaw 19 operates. The stationary jaw is secured between the spaced plate- 2,844,980 Patented July 29, 1958 ice 2 like members 17 by rivets 20 and the pivotally mounted jaw 19 formed as an extension of the operating lever 11, is pivotally mounted upon a pin 21 that extends through the spaced plate-like members 17.

By now referring to Figure 2, it will be noted, that in additionto the pivotally mounted lever 11, the spaced plates 17 also serve as a support for a pivotally mounted lever 22 which carries a hair pin spring 23 that has an end 24 bent outwardly to form a split-shot retaining detent within and adjacent the open end of the magazine 10. The bent end 24 of the spring 23 extends through a small hole in the bottom of the tubular magazine 10 and is of such a length that it will function to retain splitshot of BB and 3-nought sizes. I

A feature of the invention, more clearly illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing, is that the stationary jaw 18 and the movable jaw 19 are of such a width and the arrangement of the spaced plates 17 is such that when a splitshot is disposed against the stationary jaw 18 for application to a line, the shot may be maneuvered by the thumb and forefinger, as indicated by dot and dash lines to place the split in the shot in an exposed position for the reception of a fishline or leader as shown in .Figure 4 of the drawing.

' At this point it will also be noted that the spaced platelike members 17 are chamfered along their upper edges so as to form a channel or groove over which a release split-shot may roll into position against the stationary jaw 18 when the tool is tipped slightly counter-clockwise from its position as shown in the drawing. The appearance of the operating lever 10in the form of a dog leg may be explained by the fact that the curved area, designated by the numeral 25 in Figure 1 of the drawing, is to accommodate the right hand index finger and the curved surface 26 is to accommodate the second finger in a position above the lever 11 so that with these two fingers the lever 11 may be controlled inv its operating movements while the magazine 10 is at the same time gripped by the thumb and remaining fingers of the hand.

Now with special reference to Figure 4, it will be noted that when the operating lever 11 is in the position A, here shown in full lines, the movable jaw 19 will be in a retracted position where a split-shot may roll freely from the magazine 10 and into engagement with the stationary jaw 18. Then as the lever 11 is moved into position B, the split-shot 13 thus rolled into engagement with the stationary jaw 18 will be gripped between the stationary jaw 18 and the movable jaw 19. Whenthe shot is positioned with its split exposed and a fishline or leader, designated by the numeral 27, is placed thereover as here shown the shot may be compressed and thus clamped as a sinker on the line or leader 27. Following this split-shot applying operation a subsequent movement of the operating lever 11 into the position C will cause the pivotally mounted lever 22 with its hair spring 23 to be engaged and rocked so as to move the detent 24 at its end out of a shot retaining position. This will permit another split-shot to subsequently roll into engagement with the back of the movable jaw 19 where it will remain for application to a line or leader It may be explained further that during this operation, the movablejaw 19 upon the pivotally mounted lever 11 will be in its upper or substantially closed position and the shot thus released by the detent 24 will be retained at the open end of the magazine 10 until the lever 11 is moved into its extreme outer position as indicated by full lines in Figure 4 of the drawing. When the lever 11 is in this position, it will be readily seen that the pivotally mounted lever 22 will have become disengaged and as a result the resilience of the hair spring 23 will cause the detent 24 to return to its split-shot retaining position within the magazine as shown Figure 2 of the drawings. As an additional feature I have also provided a line or leader cutting means in the form of overlapping notches 28 and 29which are respectively formed in the operating lever 11 and the spaced plate-like members 17 between which theoperating lever 11 is mounted. As shown in the drawing these notches 28 and 29 are arranged to register with each other when the operating lever is inan intermediate position and when a line or leader is positioned therein, it may be completely out or sheared by moving the operating lever 11 in one direction or the other to produce a shearing action by a displacement of these notches.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose my invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated a specific form and arrangement, I desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific form disclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and all such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a split-shot sinker setting tool, the combination of an open ended tubular magazine for containing a number of split-shot and forming a handle of the tool, a fixed jaw disposed outwardly from the open end of said tubular magazine against which a single split-shot may repose, a movable jaw interposed between said fixed jaw and the end of said tubular magazine, said movable jaw being pivotally mounted to permit a split-shot to pass thereover when in one position and to engage and compress a split-shot against said fixed jaw when in another position, an operating lever for moving said movable jaw from one to the other of said positions, and a shot retaining detent at the open end of said magazine for releasing said shot one at a time as said operating lever is moved into said one position.

2. A tool for applying sinker forming split-shot to a fishline, comprising an open ended tubular magazine forming a handle of the tool in which a plurality of shot is retained, a stationary shot positioning jaw spaced outwardly from the open end of said tubular magazine, means for guiding a shot from said magazine into engagement with said stationary shot positioning jaw, a pivotally mounted shot engaging jaw operating between said stationary shot positioning jaw and the open end of said magazine, said shot engaging jaw being movable into a first inoperative position to permit the rolling of a splitshot into engagement with said stationary shot positioning jaw, an operating lever extending in gripping relation with the handle formed by said tubular magazine for moving said pivotally mounted shot engaging jaw into engagement with a shot positioned against said stationary jaw, and a spring detent responsive to movement of said operating lever for releasing said shot one at a time from said magazine as said operating lever moves said shot engaging jaw into engagement with a shot positioned against said stationary shot positioning jaw.

3. A tool for applying sinker forming split-shot to a fishline, comprising an open ended magazine in which a plurality of shot is maintained in a single row, a stationary shot positioning jaw spaced outwardly from the open end of said magazine, means extending from said magazine for guiding a shot into engagement with said stationary jaw where said shot may be manually maneuvered into position for reception of a fishline or leader, a pivotally mounted jaw operating between said stationary jaw and the open end of said magazine movable into one position to permit the rolling of a split-shot from said magazine and into engagement with said stationary jaw and being movable into another position for engagement with a split-shot disposed against said stationary jaw, a lever means for operating said pivotally mounted jaw between said positions, and shot retaining means responsive to an operation of said lever means for releasing said split-shot one at the time at the open end of said tubular magazine.

4. In a fishline split-shot sinker applying tool, the combination of an open ended magazine in which a plurality of split-shot is retained, a jaw supporting frame carried by said tubular magazine having an extending portion forming a trackway over which a split-shot discharged from said magazine may roll, a fixed jaw at the outer end of said trackway against which the discharged split-shot will repose, said trackway being of less width than a shot so that a shot in repose against said fixed jaw may be engaged by the thumb and forefinger at opposite sides of said trackway to adjust the split thereon in a convenient fishline receiving position, and a pivotally mounted jaw cooperating with said fixed jaw for pinching said shot to close the split therein over a fishline to which said shot is applied, a lever for controlling the operations of said pivotally mounted jaw, and means also controlled by said lever for retaining the split-shot in said magazine and'permitting them to escape one at a time as said pivotally mounted jaw operates upon the successive shot.

5. In a split-shot fishline sinker applying tool, the combination of an open ended magazine in which a plurality of split-shot is retained, a jaw supporting frame carried by said tubular magazine having a portion forming a trackway over which shot discharged from said magazine may roll, a fixed jaw at the outer end of said trackway against which a rolling shot will repose, a pivotally mounted jaw having an operating lever for pinching said shot over the fishline as said shot is being applied thereto, and means for normally retaining the split-shot in said magazine as said pivotally mounted jaw operates upon a shot and operable upon a reverse operation of said pivotally mounted jaw to release a single split-shot from said magazine preparatory for a subsequent split-shot applying operation of the tool.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,723,403 Miller NOV. 15, 1955 2,765,686 Deline Oct. 9, 1956 2,765,687 Stanfield Oct. 9, 1956 2,806,229 Pletz Sept. 17, 1957 

